I moved them outside at 2 weeks. Yay or nay?

[BDutch]

Scratch is chicken candy, a mix of seeds and other tasty tidbits.

Its not just candy, its supplement food for chickens as well. In my country it contains all kind of grains, seeds and pieces of corn.

Normal chickens (not the factory hybrids) that truly free range in a field with plenty of food just need what they find and its common practice to give them a few handfuls of scratch in the evening so they can roost with a full crop.

It’s true scratch is a treat for chickens that are locked up. If you have a heavy breed that is not active, the chickens get too fat if you give much scratch.

 

[BDutch]

Still have tons of flies. I used the traps but that only attracts more flies. I’ve seen some homemade fly repellant recipes. Just wondering if anyone tried any and had any luck?

Be careful not to poison your chicks.

If you take away the poop a few times a day, there is less food for flies.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Its not just candy, its supplement food for chickens as well. In my country it contains all kind of grains, seeds and pieces of corn.

Normal chickens (not the factory hybrids) that truly free range in a field with plenty of food just need what they find and its common practice to give them a few handfuls of scratch in the evening so they can roost with a full crop.

It’s true scratch is a treat for chickens that are locked up. If you have a heavy breed that is not active, the chickens get too fat if you give much scratch.

Scratch lacks the extra vitamins and minerals that would get added to constitute feed in the US. So while a little bit is okay (just like eating a little cake or candy is okay), some folks get heavy handed with how much they give.

OP is not free ranging in open pastures with varied forage. The chickens are being housed in a side yard in what looks like a suburban neighborhood: https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...weeks-yay-or-nay.1617836/page-2#post-27638875 With only 4 chickens, a "few handfuls" of scratch daily would be excessive in such a setting.

 

[NatJ]

Scratch lacks the extra vitamins and minerals that would get added to constitute feed in the US. So while a little bit is okay (just like eating a little cake or candy is okay), some folks get heavy handed with how much they give.

OP is not free ranging in open pastures with varied forage. The chickens are being housed in a side yard in what looks like a suburban neighborhood: https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...weeks-yay-or-nay.1617836/page-2#post-27638875 With only 4 chickens, a "few handfuls" of scratch daily would be excessive in such a setting.

At some point in the past, in the USA, some people used a feeding system that did incorporate scratch. They used a concentrated "mash" feed (high protein, vitamins, minerals), and gave a certain amount of scratch each day as well. In that case, the scratch was an important part of the total diet. The total result was about the same as the all-in-one feeds that are common now, but it was in two parts rather than mixed together into one.

I don't know of any reasonable source of feeds that are designed to be used with some amount of scratch, at the present time, unless someone is making it themselves or working with a feed mill to get a custom recipe.

For chickens that do eat a complete feed, and do not have much or any access to free range, I agree that adding scratch is not helpful and can cause problems. The chickens could get fat (scratch + feed = too many calories) or could lack some nutrients (scratch instead of feed = missing nutrients), or both.

 

[GoldenGirlsChicks]

They are getting big. They are now in the Tractor Supply coop. I let them out for a while during the day. I read something about mites and things that may bother them. I see them pecking at themselves sometimes but don’t know if something is bothering them or if they are just cleaning themselves. I don’t see any obvious sores on them. But I did buy Poultry Protector spray from TS to use just in case.

 

[FrostRanger]

Mites are possible, but it also might be that they're bored. That run is awfully small for 3 birds. Ideally, they should have 10 square feet of run space per bird. So for 3 birds you're looking at 30 square feet minimum. It'd be cheapest and best to buy a roll of wire fencing (preferably hardware cloth) and make a run yourself

 

[HowIsItDone]

Mites are possible, but it also might be that they're bored. That run is awfully small for 3 birds. Ideally, they should have 10 square feet of run space per bird. So for 3 birds you're looking at 30 square feet minimum. It'd be cheapest and best to buy a roll of wire fencing (preferably hardware cloth) and make a run yourself

Where is their food, water, dust bath, and amusement?
I don't see any.

 

[aart]

I see them pecking at themselves sometimes but don’t know if something is bothering them or if they are just cleaning themselves.

They are probably just preening, they go thru 2-3 molts between hatch and ~6 months old.

But good to know how to....
check them over real well for mites and/or lice:

Google images of lice/mites and their eggs before the inspection so you'll know what you're looking for.

Part the feathers right down to the skin around vent, head/neck and under wings.

Best done well after dark with a strong flashlight/headlight, easier to 'catch' bird and also to check for the mites that live in structure and only come out at night to feed off roosting birds.

Look fast, they will scatter quickly once the feathers are parted and the light hits them.

Wipe a white paper towel along the underside of roost to look for red smears(smashed well fed mites).

Good post about mite ID by Lady McCamley:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/my-chicken-has-mites-now-what.1273674/page-2#post-20483008

 

[NatJ]

Where is their food, water, dust bath, and amusement?
I don't see any.

Are you looking at the most recent photo, of mostly-grown birds in a small coop/run setup? https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...weeks-yay-or-nay.1617836/page-8#post-27824542

I see two square gray dishes that appear to contain water. The pullet on the right is standing on the edge of one of the dishes.

I see plenty of dirt on the ground, so no need for a separate dust bath.

For amusement, I see water (to drink or stand in), a little wooden picnic table to stand on, dirt and bits of bedding to scratch in and use for dustbathing, a ramp they can go up and down, a coop to go in and out, and OP said they also get let out to free range for part of each day. It looks fairly good to me.

I do not see the food, but if they have everything else they need, and they look healthy, then I would trust that they have access to food as well (probably either inside the coop or out of sight behind one of the birds.)

 

[GoldenGirlsChicks]

the food is actually on the tabletop of the picnic table. Yes, I have 2 dog bowls of water and i usually throw in sand and diatomaceous dirt when i clean out the coop. I live in town and have a small yard so that coop is the best i can do for them. Even when I let them out sometimes they don't seem that interested to leave the coop. then sometimes they will stay out all day